Simple Center Wall Hanger

ABSTRACT

A secure, single-pivot hanger for picture frames or like objects. The invention includes a top-center alignment slot so it can quickly and accurately be placed directly over the object&#39;s, previously measured and marked, top midpoint. Adhesive on the hanger&#39;s back is used to hold the hanger in position on the object before being nailed in place. Two pre-located holes assure that fastener nails will be self-stabilized in an upright starting position and guided in a straight line as they are driven into the back of the object. Once attached, the hanger&#39;s catch lip and relief space will allow it to securely rest on a screw, anchor nail, or the like between the back of the hanging object and the vertical surface it is being suspended from. The hanger can easily and safely rotate around its single pivot point to adjust for final leveling.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a nonprovisional application for patent entitled to a filing date and claiming the benefit of earlier-filed Provisional Application for Patent No. 62/038,333, entitled “Simple Center Wall Hanger”, filed on Aug. 17, 2014 under 35 U.S.C. §119(e).

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of a hanging device for picture frames or like objects and methods. Particularly, this invention is concerned with an improved way of center aligning the hanging device to an object's top center point and creating a way to easily self-stabilize the device's fastener nails in an upright starting position. More particularly, the invention will temporarily adhere to a picture frame or like object as to not lose its centered position before or during the process of being permanently affixed with fastener nails.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are many known products for hanging items on a wall or other vertical surface. Most of these items are relatively small and made from either bent metal or molded plastic. Fasteners are generally supplied with the hanger device so it can be securely attached to the object being hung. Generally a centering mark is made on the back of the object to be hung and the hanger is informally aligned to this mark.

The annoyance of people attempting to center sawtooth hangers by eye, due to its diminutive and lofted center pin mark, would be ameliorated with a hanging device containing a center alignment slot that lays flush with the back surface of the picture frame or like object. This would easily and accurately align the frame's center point mark to the hanger's center point mark finder; it's alignment slot. Furthermore, when a person attempts to attach a sawtooth hanger to the frame, they must try to hammer in a tiny fastener nail by holding it in a starting position with their fingers or other tool which generally moves the hanger out of center alignment.

An ideal solution would be to have the hanger temporarily held in place by an adhesive backing to assure its original positioning during the process of securing it with fastener nails to the object being hung. Furthermore, a hands-free solution in which the hanging bracket self-stabilizes fastener nails in an upright starting position would eliminate risk of injury to exposed fingers or thumbs while manually hold the nail steady, straight, and upright while simultaneously hitting it repeatedly with a hammer.

A number of brackets and hanger devices solve the initial challenge of being able to support an object on a vertical surface through various means however; they do not incorporate the ease in which to do so. A simplistic centering technique, place holding method, and effortless attachment system are all overlooked.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved hanging device that provides simplistic methods to center, temporarily hold, and securely attach it to a picture frame or like object. The invention includes a center alignment slot to easily line up the hanger with a previously marked centerline on the item it will be affixed to.

Adhesive strips are fastened to the back of the hanger and used to temporarily secure the device onto the back of the object being hung. A release liner will be removed from the adhesive backing and the hanger will be located over the object's marked centerline. Once the mark is located through the center alignment slot, the hanger will be pressed against the object creating a bond with the adhesive backing. This temporarily fastens the hanger in place and safeguards it against accidental jarring, displacement, and constant realignments before or during the process of securely affixing it to the object with fastener nails.

Pre-located holes on the left and right side of the hanger assure that fastener nails are held in a self-supporting, upright starting position. The hole also guides the nail in a straight line as it is driven into the back of a picture frame or like object. A relief flange around the fastener holes will assure the head of the nail will lay flush with the surface of the hanger. These self-stabilizing holes greatly diminish the risk of finger and thumb injuries along with eliminating the need for any additional nail holding tools.

The object to which the hanger is typically applied to is usually a picture frame, although the hanger may be similarly used to hang and position various types of art work, mirrors, clocks, or other like objects. More advantages and aspects of the invention are evident from the subsequent drawings and descriptions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention in a fully assembled state.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the adhesive backing separated from the hanger.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the hanger body.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the hanger body.

FIG. 5 is a bottom, front view of the hanger's relief space.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the adhesive backing structure.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the hanger attached to an object and suspended from a wall.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS

-   10 hanger body -   12 center alignment slot -   14 fastener stabilizing hole -   16 relief flange -   18 hanger catch lip -   20 hanger catch throat -   22 connection relief space -   24 adhesive release pull tab -   26 adhesive release liner -   28 adhesive backing -   30 fastener nail -   32 screw, anchor nail, or the like -   34 picture frame or like object -   36 vertical surface, preferably drywall or like object

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A secure hanger with an easy center alignment system, temporary placement connections, and self-stabilizing fastener holes are presented in the drawings. FIG. 1 depicts the best perspective view of the present invention in a fully assembled state. The secure hanger is an assembly consisting of two main components, the hanger body 10 and adhesive backing 28, best seen in FIG. 6. The core component of the invention is the hanger body 10 that is intended to be formed from a rigid plastic material such as injection molded ABS or nylon, although it may also be produced from aluminum or other metals. At the top center of the hanger body 10, a void running vertically through and down the body creates the center alignment slot 12. The user will employ this slot to lineup the hanger with a center mark previously made on the item it will be affixed to.

FIG. 6 shows the adhesive backing 28 sections, the adhesive release liner 26 and the adhesive release pull tab 24, an extension of the liner's top portion. The adhesive structure will be attached to the bottom of the hanger body 10 so that the adhesive backing 28 will be sandwiched between the hanger and release liner 26, as seen in FIG. 2. As noted, the adhesive release pull tab 24 is an extension and as such will protrude past the edge of the center alignment slot 12 allowing for easy gripping. For temporarily attaching the hanger to a picture frame or like object 34, FIG. 7, the release liner 26 will be peeled off of the adhesive backing 28 preferably by utilizing the pull tab 24. With both adhesive sections exposed, and after ensuring the top of the hanger is held in the same upward direction as the top of the object it is being attached to, the hanger should be held in a way so that it is slightly hovering over the object's center mark until it can be seen through the center alignment slot 12. Once the hanger is centered over the mark, it is to be pressed firmly onto the surface of the object, allowing the adhesive to securely affix to it.

FIG. 3 shows the fastener stabilizing holes 14 located to the lower left and right of the hanger. When preferred fastener nails 30, seen in FIG. 7, are placed into these holes, they will be self-stabilized in a starting position; the holes may be changed in size or shape from what is shown to adjust for other fastener types. A relief flange 16 that circles around the holes will allow enough room for the head of the fastener to lay flush with the top surface of the hanger body 10 once driven into the frame or other object

FIG. 7 fully illustrates the bracket in a relevant situation as attached to a picture frame or like object 34 and suspended from a screw, anchor nail, or the like 32 on a vertical surface, preferably drywall or like object 36. The head of the screw anchor, nail, or the like 32 should be positioned at a perpendicular angle, 0 degrees, or at least no more than a 22.5 degree upward angle in respect to the vertical surface. This allows ample room for the screw or nail head to fit into the connection relief space 22. The head of the screw anchor should stick out from the wall at a thickness equal to or a little more than that of the hanger catch throat 20, seen in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5.

After the hanger is fastened to the frame by driving fastener nails 30 through each of the fastener stabilizing holes 14, the assembly would be secured to the vertical surface 36. To secure the frame and attached hanger to a screw anchor 32 protruding from the vertical surface 36 at a predetermined height, align the center of the bracket slightly away from the wall and directly above the head of the screw anchor. Press the assembly, object and hanger, flush against the wall and lower it down slowly. The hanger catch lip 18, clearly seen in FIG. 4, will rest on top of the anchor screw or nail while the connection relief space 22 supplies ample room for the screw or nail head 32. Effectively, the hanger catch throat 20 will be resting on the anchor screw or nail body 30 and the screw or nail head will be sandwiched between the hanger catch lip 18 and the back of the frame or like object 34. The hanger catch lip 18 assures that the object will not be able to slide off the end of the screw or nail. The hanger catch throat 20 is rounded and designed to conform to the body of the anchor screw or nail 32. If by chance the bracket is slightly tilted off a true 90 degree perpendicular axis to the picture frame's vertical gravity, the hanger catch throat 18 will allow the frame to easily rotate around the screw or nail for leveling purposes.

The preferred method of build, form, function, and uses of the invention are embodied above and referenced in the attached drawings however, these should not limit its scope as other incarnations or uses can be fashioned within its framework and are included in the methods, system, and claims of the invention. For example, although the main objects attached to the hanger body are mainly described as picture frames, numerous objects can also be hung such as mirrors, clocks, works of art, masks, and the like. Also, more than one wall hanger can be used on a single object to help distribute the weight or to counter the effects of an off balanced or unusually shaped object. Moreover, fastener nails could be replaced with wood screws and the adhesive backer could be replaced with another type of bonding agent or may be done away with completely. 

Having described my invention, I claim:
 1. The ease in which the object's top midpoint, previously marked by the user, can be located and lined up through the hanger's center alignment slot will improve the simplicity of and increase the accuracy for attaching the hanger directly over the object's center point axis.
 2. Adhesive backing secured to the bottom of the hanger body will assure minimal to no movement after being firmly pressed to the back of a picture frame or like object which will keep the hanger securely in place before and during the process of being permanently affixed to the object with fastener nails.
 3. The hanger's pre-located, self-stabilizing fastener holes will assure the nails will be held in a steady, upright starting position and be guided down in a straight line while being driven into the back of a picture frame or like object without risking injury to the user's fingers or needing to use additional holding tools. 